Rail-joint.



G. B. LUWVIER.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLlcArloN FILED 1uLY a. |915.

Patented Sept. 14., 1915.

GEORGE 1B. LMMER, OIF QUINGY, ILLINOIS.

\ RAIL-JOINT.

specification of :Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. ML, i915.

Application led July 3, 1915. Serial No. 37.910.

` To all whom it may concern:

lBe it known that l, GEORGE B. LUMMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Quincy, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Rail- Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

rlhis invention relates to certain improvements in rail joints and has relation more `particularly to a joint of this general character employing threadless bolts; and it is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved rail joint which may be assembled with convenience and facility and which is effectively/maintained in said assemblage. l'

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved rail joint whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features ofthe invention` will be carefully defined in the appended claims.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, whereinlFigure 1 is a view in top plan, with a part broken away, of a rail joint constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of my improved joint as herein embodied, with a portion broken away and one of the keys indicated in section; and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken through the joint as herein disclosed.-

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, l-l denote the meeting ends of rails,

' each of which having produced in the web 2 thereof the longitudinally disposed slot 3 having in communication therewith at substantially its longitudinal center the opening 4, the connectin throat 5 being of a width less than the diameter of the opening. It is also preferred that the opening 4 be positioned above the slot 3.

The meeting ends 1 of the rails are adapted to rest upon the chair 6, the sides of which being rovided with the perforate extension 7 to a ord a convenient means whereby said chair may be effectively anchored in applied position. The chair has integrally produced therewith the plates 8 adapted to overlie the base flanges 9 and the webs 2 of the meeting ends 1 of the rails and the web portions l0 of the plates 8 are provided with the alined key-hole slots 11 with which the openings 4L of the webs 2 are adapted to be brought into register so that the keys l2 may be dlsposed through the webs 2 and 10 and be arranged within the slots 3 to maintain the meeting ends 1 of the rails against displacement.

The opposite extremities of each of the keys 12 are provided with the heads 14 of a formation substantially identical to the formation of the key-hole slots 11, one of said heads being freely insertible through the slots while the second head is of such a size as to be incapable of passing through the openings. It is thought that the manner of assembling or disconnecting the meeting ends l of the rails is clearly apparent from the foreging description and the disclosure in the accompanying drawings without the neces-` sity of a detailed description of the operation. l also find it of advantage to reinforce the web portions 10 of the plates 8 bythe webs 15, ywith a web disposed inwardly of each of theopenings 11 and in close proximity thereto, 'and the webs of a single plate are disposed in converging planes. lit is also to be noted that the intermediate portions 16 of the keys 12 are of such a diameter as to readily pass through the connecting throats 5.

4Fronrr the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a rail joint constructed in accordance with my invention is of an extremely simple and comparatively inexpensive nature and is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled,

and it will also be obvious that my invention is susce' tible of some change and modiication wit out material departure from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood l as limiting myself to the precise arrangesov tions of (which being provided with longitudinally disposed slots, openings at one side 2. A rail joint comprising, in combination,

the meeting ends of rails, the web portions of which being provided with longitudinally disposed slots, openings at one side of the slots and in communication therewith, -a chair provided with plates engageable with the webs of the rails, said plates being provided with ke 7-hole slots adapted to register with the `openings in the webs, and keys insertible through the slots of the plates and the openings of the Webs when in register, the extremities of the keys being provided with heads of a formation substantially identical to the formation of the key-hole slots, a head of each of the keys being of a size in excess of the size of the button-hole slots of the plates.

3. A rail joint comprising, in combination, the meeting ends of rails, the web portions of which being provided with longitudinally disposed slots, openings at one side of the slots and' in communication therewith, a chair provided with plates engageable with the webs of the rails, said lates being provided with key-hole slots a apted to register with the openings in the webs, and keys insertible through the slots of the plates and the openings of the webs when in register, the extremities of the keys being provided with heads of a formation substantially identical to the formation of the key-hole slots, the connecting throat between each of the slots of the web and the adjacent opening being of a width less than the diameter of the opening, the intermediate portion of a coacting key being of a diameter less than the Width of the throat. l

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in the resence of two witnesses.

(EORGE B. LUMMER.

Witnesses:

BEN HECKLE, ALoIs C. HECKLE. 

